Carbomycin resistance in mouse L cells

Nuclear inheritance of erythromycin resistance in human cells: new class of mitochondrial protein synthesis mutants

The characterization of two new erythromycin-resistant mutants of HeLa cells is described. The strains ERY2305 and ERY2309 both exhibited resistance to erythromycin in growth assays and cell-free mitochondrial protein synthesis assays. The erythromycin resistance phenotype could not be transferred by cybridization. The mutation appeared to be encoded in the nucleus and inherited as a recessive trait. These two mutants, therefore, represent a new class of erythromycin-resistant mutants in human cells that is distinct from the cytoplasmically inherited mutation in strain ERY2301 described previously.

Mitochondrial DNA mutations as an important contributor to ageing and degenerative diseases

The human mitochondrial genome is very small and economically packed; the expression of the whole genome is essential for the maintenance of mitochondrial bioenergetic function. Mutation occurs at a much higher rate in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) than in chromosomal DNA. Transient heteroplasmy of mtDNA occurs after a mutational event; the random pattern of cytoplasmic segregation that occurs during subsequent growth gives rise to a mosaic of cells. The variable proportion of mutant mitochondrial genomes per cell results in cells with a range of bioenergetic capacities. It is proposed that the accumulation of mitochondrial mutations and the subsequent cytoplasmic segregation of these mutations during life is an important contributor both to the ageing process and to several human degenerative diseases. Replacement therapy and pharmacological support may be possible for the amelioration of such disorders by means of appropriate redox compounds. Moreover, new compounds with desired redox potentials can be rationally designed for clinical use.

Genetics of the mammalian oxidative phosphorylation system: characterization of a new oligomycin-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line

The properties of a new type of oligomycin-resistant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line (Olir 2.2) are described in this paper. Olir 2.2 cells were approximately 50,000-fold more resistant to oligomycin than were wild-type CHO cells when tested in glucose-containing medium, but only 10- to 100-fold more resistant when tested in galactose-containing medium. Olir 2.2 cells grew with a doubling time similar to that of wild-type cells both in the presence or absence of oligomycin. Oligomycin resistance in Olir 2.2 cells was stable in the absence of drug. In vitro assays indicated that there was approximately a 25-fold increase in the resistance of the mitochondrial ATPase to inhibition by oligomycin in Olir 2.2 cells, with little change in the total ATPase activity. The electron transport chain was shown to be functional in Olir 2.2 cells. Olir 2.2 cells were cross-resistant to other inhibitors of the mitochondrial ATPase (such as rutamycin, ossamycin, peliomycin, venturicidin, leucinostatin, and efrapeptin) and to other inhibitors of mitochondrial functions (such as chloramphenicol, rotenone, and antimycin). Oligomycin resistance was expressed codominantly in hybrids between Olir 2.2 cells and wild-type cells. Cross-resistance to ossamycin, peliomycin, chloramphenicol, antimycin, venturicidin, leucinostatin, and efrapeptin was also expressed codominantly in hybrids. Fusions of enucleated Olir 2.2 cells with wild-type cells and characterization of the resulting cybrid clones indicated that resistance to oligomycin and ossamycin results from a mutation in both a nuclear gene and a cytoplasmic gene. Cross-resistance to efrapeptin, leucinostatin, venturicidin, and antimycin results from a mutation in only a nuclear gene.

Biochemical genetics of the mammalian oxidative phosphorylation system: analysis of the difference in the sensitivity of various Chinese hamster cell lines to inhibitors of the mitochondrial ATP synthase complex

Seven different Chinese hamster cell lines were found to vary greatly in their sensitivity to inhibitors of the mitochondrial ATPase. In plating-efficiency experiments, Chinese hamster lung V79 and bone marrow M3-1 cells were approximately 10,000-fold more resistant to oligomycin, 100-fold more resistant to efrapeptin, and 10-fold more resistant to ossamycin and leucinostatin than were ovary CHO or peritoneal B14 cells. In vitro experiments indicated that the increased resistance of V79 versus CHO cells to these inhibitors was due to an increased resistance of the mitochondrial ATPase. Heat-inactivation experiments indicated that there was a difference in the structure of the mitochondrial ATPase of V79 and CHO cells. Genetic experiments indicated that the difference in the sensitivity of V79 and CHO cells to inhibitors of the ATPase and the difference in the structure of the mitochondrial ATPase of V79 and CHO cells was due to a difference in both a nuclear and a cytoplasmic gene.

Cybrid formation with recipient cell lines containing dominant phenotypes

A clone of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, BT3, resistant to Tevenel, the sulfamoyl analog of chloramphenicol has been isolated. Resistance was found to be at the mitochondrial level and was shown to be cytoplasmically inherited. This marker was then used to develop a method by which a cell line possessing a dominant nuclear mutation (resistance to 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole, DRB) could be used as the recipient in cybrid formation. The unique feature in this procedure was the removal of nucleated cells from the cytoplasts by passage through unipore filters. The dominant character of the DRB- and Tevenel-resistant phenotypes permitted the selection of cybrids immediately after fusion. This initially increased the frequency of cybrid clones 16-fold as compared to a recipient cell line possessing a recessive marker. The possibility of extending the method to recipient cells lacking a selectable drug-resistance marker is discussed.

Cytoplasmic inheritance of oligomycin resistance in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Oligomycin-resistant clones were isolated from Chinese hamster ovary cells by treatment of cells with ethidium bromide, followed by mutagenesis with ethylmethane sulfonate and selection in oligomycin. One clone (Olir 8.1) was chosen for further study. Olir 8.1 cells grow with doubling time similar to that of wild-type cells, whether grown in the presence or absence of drug (doubling time of 13-14 h). In plating efficiency experiments, Olir 8.1 cells are approximately 100-fold more resistant to oligomycin than are wild-type cells. There is approximately a 32-fold increase in the resistance to inhibition by oligomycin of the mitochondrial ATPase from Olir 8.1 cells. The electron transport chain is functional in Olir 8.1 cells. Oligomycin resistance is stable in the absence of selective pressure. There is little or no cross-resistance of Olir 8.1 cells to venturicidin and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, other inhibitors of the mitochondrial ATPase, or to chloramphenicol, an inhibitor of mitochondrial protein synthesis. Oligomycin resistance is dominant in hybrids between Olir 8.1 cells and wild-type cells. Fusions of enucleated Olir 8.1 cells with sensitive cells and characterization of the resulting "cybrid" clones indicates that oligomycin resistance in Olir 8.1 cells is cytoplasmically inherited.

On the effect of inhibitors of mitochondrial macromolecular-synthesizing systems and respiration on the growth of cultured chick embryo cells

We have found that chick embryo fibroblasts (DEF) cultivated in the presence of tryptose phosphate broth (TPB) are inherently resistant to the growth inhibitory effect of ethidium bromide (EB). As demonstrated by cytochrome oxidase activity and oxygen consumption measurements, analyses of reduced-minus-oxidized cytochrome spectra and electron microscopic observations, TPB did not seem to prevent the inhibitory effect of EB on mitochondrial DNA transcription. EB-treated chick cell populations cultivated in the presence of TPB behave essentially the same as populations treated with chloramphenicol (CAM) and grow with mitochondria devoid of a functional respiratory chain. In contrast to CAM-treated CEF populations, however, the respiratory activity of EB-treated cell populations did not reappear when the cells were shifted back to EB-free medium. Attempts to demonstrate that TPB confers resistance to the growth inhibitory effect of carbomycin and mikamycin, inhibitors of the mitochondrial protein-synthesizing system, have failed, the drugs being cytotoxic at doses where protein synthesis on mitoribosomes is not suppressed. On the other hand, the present results demonstrated that chick cell populations proliferate in the presence of the respiratory inhibitors rotenone, antimycin A, amytal and oligomycin whether or not TPB is present in the growth medium.

Hydroxyurea-resistant mouse L cells with elevated levels of drug-resistant ribonucleotide reductase activity

We describe the isolation and partial characterization of a mouse L-cell line which is resistant to normally highly cytotoxic concentrations of hydroxyurea. A detailed analysis of the target enzyme ribonucleotide reductase in both wild-type and hydroxyurea-resistant enzyme preparations suggests that the drug-resistant cells form a ribonucleotide reductase enzyme which contains a structural alteration, rendering it less sensitive to inhibition by hydroxyurea. K1 values for hydroxyurea inhibition of ribonucleotide reduction in enzyme preparations from hydroxyurea-resistant cells were significantly higher than corresponding values from preparations from wild-type cells. The Km for CDP reduction in enzyme preparations of drug-resistant cells was approximately threefold higher than the corresponding parental wild-type value. In addition, in vivo enzyme assays detected a major difference between the temperature profiles of ribonucleotide reduction in nucleotide-permeable drug-resistant and wild-type cells. When levels of ribonucleotide reductase activity were measured in vivo, it was found that the drug-resistant cells contained approximately 3 times the wild-type level of CDP reductase activity and twice wild-type level of GDP reductase activity. This combination of enhanced enzyme levels plus an altered sensitivity to drug inhibition can easily account for the drug-resistance phenotype. The properties of these hydroxyurea-resistant cells indicate that they will be useful for genetic and biochemical studies.

Erythromycin resistance in mouse L cells

The sensitivity of mouse cell lines in culture to the macrolide antibiotic, erythromycin stearate, was investigated. Both resistant and sensitive lines were found. Experiments indicated that in sensitive cells erythromycin stearate inhibits mitochondrial protein synthesis. Mutants resistant to erythromycin stearate were selected from the line LM(TK-), and these are also less sensitive to other macrolide antibiotics such as carbomycin and spiramycin. Attempts to transfer the erythromycin resistance of either the mutants or naturally resistant lines by fusion of cytoplasts with sensitive cells were unsuccessful, and it is concluded that resistance to erythromycin stearate is controlled by nuclear genetic factors.